The Stars Of Britpop - Now And Then

With Sleeper making a comeback at Star Shaped this summer, how have the great 90s stars changed in looks and attitude? Radio X compares and contrasts.

1. Blur then...

Britpop Blur (as opposed to Baggy Blur), here's the fresh-faced band about to take on the world with their characteristically English songs...

2. Blur now

...And here they are in 2015 on the release of their album The Magic Whip, which saw the original line-up record together for the first time in years.

3. Louise Wener then...

London's Sleeper were best known for the hits Sale Of The Century and What Do I Do Now? They were fronted by the charismatic Louise Wener, who once wore an ironic t-shirt claiming they were "Another Female-Fronted Band"...

4. Louise Wener now

Nowadays, Wener is better known for being an author, having written the four novels, including Goodnight Steve McQueen. But wait! Sleeper are back, playing Star Shaped Festival in summer 2017 - their first shows in 19 years. Photo: Curtis Brown

5. Liam Gallagher then...

Here's the younger Gallagher on stage at Maine Road in Manchester back in 1996... Nice jacket. Photo: PA

6. Liam Gallagher now

...And here he is, twenty years later. Different jacket, same (ish) haircut. Older, and no doubt wiser. Photo: Getty

7. Noel Gallagher then...

The man himself, rocking casual rainwear, during the glorious year of 1995. Moptop ahoy! Photo: PA

8. Noel Gallagher now

Here's the modern-day version, complete with sensible jacket and a few tales to tell. Photo: Getty

9. Supergrass then...

The fresh-faced trio from the mid 1990s, around the time of their debut album, I Should Coco. They always looked like they were aged 12, even when they were actually in their 20s...

10. Supergrass Now

11. Pulp then...

Jarvis and co, pictured in their Different Class album cover poses in 1995...

12. Pulp now

...and here they are twenty years later, following their successful reunion. Photo: PA

13. Richard Ashcroft then...

Here's the Verve frontman as the long-haired Britpop God at the turn of the 1990s... Photo: PA

14. Richard Ashcroft now

...And the shorter-haired version from 2016, ready to unleash his new solo album, Those People.

15. Justine Frischmann then...

Justine Frischmann left the embryonic Suede after a brief stint to start her own band, Elastica. She was also an "item" with Damon Albarn, as you no doubt already know...

16. Justine Frischmann now

Since Elastica's split in 2001, Justine has been forging an impressive career as a fine artist and now lives in the US. She's kept her hand in the music industry, however, writing with M.I.A. on the latter's debut album Arular. Photo: PA

17. Shed Seven then

York's finest were fronted by Rick Witter and known for such Britpop classics as Going For Gold and Chasing Rainbows...

18. Shed Seven now

...and they had a celebrity fan in one Chris Moyles. So much so that on his birthday in 2016, the band came into the Radio X studios to play especially for Chris.

19. Echobelly then...

Fronted by the striking frontwoman Sonya Madan, the band were best known for the track King Of The Kerb and their second album On.

20. Echobelly now....

Echobelly are still a going concern and playing shows, but Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson also have an acoustic side-project, Calm Of Zero.

21. Cast then...

Once Scouse songsmiths The La's imploded at the beginning of the 90s, guitarist John Power formed his own band, Cast, and had success with their hit-filled debut album, All Change. Songs included Walkaway, Fine Time and Alright...

22. Cast now

The band celebrated their 20th anniversary with a special show at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall in February 2016. They also recorded some new material for the occasion.

23. Suede then...

Picture here at Reading Festival in 1992, here's Brett Anderson with the original line-up that featured guitarist Bernard Butler. Picture: Getty

24. Suede now

Now not so androgynous, the band released their seventh album in 2016, titled Night Thoughts.

25. Lush then...

Originally more of a "shoegaze" band, signed to the acclaimed 4AD label, Lush were fronted by Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson and had a Britpop hit with 1996's Single Girl. They split two years later, following the suicide of drummer Chris Acland.

26. Lush now

Twenty years on, Berenyi, Anderson and bassist Phil King reformed with former Elastica drummer Justin Welch for a series of dates and played their final ever show a year later at the Academy in Manchester in November 2016.

27. Kula Shaker then...

Fronted by Crispian "Son Of Hayley" Mills, this London band caught the tail end of Britpop with the hits Tattva, Hey Dude and a cover of the classic Hush. They called it a day in 1999, with Mills forming a solo project, The Jeevas. Photo: PA

28. Kula Shaker now

The Shaker reformed in 2004 and have released three albums since then, including 2016's K 2.0. They marked the 20th anniversary of their album K with shows at the tail end of 2016.

29. The Bluetones then...

Hounslow's contribution to the Britpop wave stole the hearts of the nation in 1996 with the all-time classic Slight Return, taken from their debut album, Expecting To Fly.

30. The Bluetones now

The band split in 2011, but soon reconsidered and got back together at the end of 2015 to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

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